“I’d love to have kids,” the 39-year-old driver said. “Having kids is like the ultimate win — probably the most rewarding and greatest accomplishment you can have is raising a child. And I hear it all the time.

“All my friends that are having babies are telling me how amazing it is, and my sister (has kids) so, yeah, I’m always curious as to what that would be like.”

Earnhardt is not married but has been with girlfriend Amy Reimann for several years. The 10-time most popular driver has been more open talking about his girlfriend in recent years as he has become more comfortable in the spotlight and less worried about what people think.

Reimann also has encouraged Earnhardt to get away from the racetrack from time to time.

“Before I was in a relationship with Amy, I was really a recluse and never would leave my bus on race weekend,” Earnhardt said. “I didn’t know what was outside the racetrack. I didn’t know what the towns were like, restaurants or anything.

“She’s got me to get out and enjoy and see and do. I think that’s really made life a whole lot more fun. People that know me really well say I’m a better person for it.”

Earnhardt reiterated that he hopes to continue to race as long as he can, even after his Cup career has ended. He wants to race Late Models and have the enjoyment of going to the racetrack and having fun with friends on a Saturday.

He also talked about how he put too much pressure on himself in his early years as the son of a legend and seven-time Cup champion. And he expanded a bit on how he spends his money. He has said that he tries to be frugal and worries about spending too much and finding himself in a financial bind.

“I think I’m a tightwad, but apparently I’m not, because I’ll spend $100 on eBay in a heartbeat,” Earnhardt said. “I collect old magazines, like Stock Car Racing. I’ve been buying them from the ‘70s and ‘80s. I have an alias on eBay.

“I’ve got a little bit of an addiction to eBay and Amazon. I’ve got a library upstairs in my house that I’ve kind of gotten this obsession of making it full. Every cabinet and shelf has to be full of books.”